[Edu-sig] re : If the PyPy Project ...

[Laura Creighton]

In a message of Sun, 14 Sep 2003 11:52:05 EDT, Arthur writes:
>Terry -
>
>>Since I presume the goal of PyPy is to implement *Python* in Python,
>>wouldn't the implementation language be rather insignificant to an
>>end-user such as an educator?  Why would it be "better" than >CPython?
>
>For whatever reason, the complex built_in  and the cmath module, implemen
>ted
>in Python, are part of the early pypy codebase. As I had been spending so
>me
>time in the complex realm with PyGeo - a simple verions of the complex
>realm, as these things go - Laura's post gave me the impetus to try to
>plugin the pypy implmentations.
>
>Only got stuck on the typing issue.  My code tests for
>instance(object,complex).  The pypy complexobject, unadorned, is a class 
>-
>and fails the test.  But that leads me into a deeper look at some of the
>pypy codebase, trying to understand a little bit of how this kind of issu
>e
>are to be dealt with.  Not that I got there, yet - but I did seem to have
> an
>avenue to explore I would not have with CPython - as someone who doesn't 
>C,
>and has no intention of trying, seriously, to do so.
>
>As someone living within the limits of having Python as my only real
>language, I think that pypy should open things up for me considerably.  I
>t
>will make Python, I believe, a more attractive educational language, beca
>use
>it will make someone with a strong foundation in Python - as the language
> of
>choice - a more self-sufficient programmer.
>
>Presumably - the point is - there will be less cases where the right
>approach would be an extension module in C or C++, and a sense of
>fundamental compromise sould one not be equipped to go there.  Many
>thousands of folks - using VB and the like - already do involed, highly
>performing realworld applications and make nice livings doing so, without
>being equipped to do C.  I am thinking that pypy would put Python more
>squarely in that "space".
>v
>Is any of this so, or just hope?

You got the whole goal correct first time.  We want to do this, (plus
we also want to teach compiler writing  as well).  PyPy will be an
easier language to learn 'inside and out' for people who don't know C.

Is it ok if I quote from your mail, or include it in its entirity in
our funding proposal in an appendex?

Laura

>
>Art
>
>
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